Escape
by HopeIsSilent
Summary: A young women with an abusive husband runs in to the ever so lovely Dr. Facilier at a party one night and lets just say her world will never be the same...
1. Chapter 1

I always loved to travel but when my husband suggested New Orleans I admit to being reluctant. Not because I disliked the place, rather I didn't relish the idea of traveling with him. My husband was a handsome, eloquent man but he had steep downfalls. They took their undeniable toll on me.

When we arrived I was overcome by the thick humidity, I was a delicate women and it affected me harshly. My husband, Victor, took hardly any notice just rolling his eyes as I struggled to breathe calling me dramatic. We were staying at his family's lovely mansion near the most exciting part of town harboring the many clubs. This did not excite me much; I didn't expect to get permission to leave the grounds.

Upon arrival the sun was just setting bathing the town in romantic golden light, but I sensed that beneath the façade of pleasantness was a dark unsettling mood. Chills ran up and down my sweaty spine as we entered the drive way of our temporary home.

"Victor, do you feel that?" I murmured quietly.

"I feel nothing but heat" he said crossly jumping out of the black Rolls Royce, his real true love.

I opened my own door knowing he wouldn't bother to open it for me and grasped at my skirts as they brushed the dusty ground. I took my first good look at the mansion and was in awe. It was a gorgeous plantation style home but it did nothing to still the awful uneasy feeling in my stomach.

A few days later Victor told me we would be attending a masquerade party at a very rich man's mansion and I was to be ready at eight. Surprised I hurried to my bedroom brushing my waist length auburn hair and pinning it up carefully. I then slipped on my best dress, a red and black ball gown. Nothing pleased me more than to get out of the confines of my current home, to get away form the loneliness and silence.

At eight thirty Victor and I arrived at the man's house dressed and ready. I shivered with anticipation as we approached the mansion. Just as we were about to walk into the party Victor turned to me.

"If you embarrass me I swear to God if you think your miserable now you can't even begin to imagine what it will be like if you disobey me tonight" detestation shown on his harsh but handsome face.

"I promise" I whispered staring at the ground.

"Look at me you ungrateful bitch!" he slapped my hard across the cheek and I wailed miserably.

"I'm sorry" I cried looking into his ice blue eyes.

"You better be."

I then saw someone approaching us and Victor immediately put on a well used fake smile that sickened me greatly.

"Good Evening" Victor said politely to a dark, tall figure of a man with a full face mask. He tipped his hat to us, a very unusual hat, with a skull sewn into it; it seemed to glow against the black of the night. As the mysterious figure walked away his glance lingered on me, his eyes an unusual shade of violet, one I wasn't aware existed.

Finally we walked into the party and I was left to fend for myself until Victor needed me for a dance or introduction. Lonely and cheerless I sat at a lone table in the back of the large ball room which also doubled as a dinning room. It was lovely and seemed to be covered in gold, more gold than I had ever seen at one time. The ceiling was adorned with a large painting of angels against a blue sky. Elegant couples danced gracefully on the beautiful marble floor.

Tears filled my eyes as I saw how happy they looked. If only I could grasp that happiness and take it as my own. If only.

Suddenly someone sat across from me, I sat back startled, did they not know this table was occupied? After sitting back I realized it was the man Victor had greeted earlier outside the mansion.

"Why the long face Cheri?" he asked in a deep, smooth voice like chocolate liquor.

"Excuse me but I do not know you" I said standing up glaring at him for his rude introduction.

He grabbed my wrist with a strong dark skinned hand, "now Cheri I won't bite".

I froze remembering all the times Victor had done that, they had all ended badly. I sat quickly obeying the stranger, looking into his strange Violet eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

The man across from me was tall, broad shouldered and slim but I could tell he was strong enough to possibly overpower the likes of even Victor. Taking all of this in I realized if he chose he could take me and do whatever he wanted to me without the slightest chance of getting caught. I trembled at the notion.

"Now, now Cheri I won't hurt you, I just… have a few questions" his eyes glimmered in amusement as if my fears were as small and stupid as a child's.

"What could you possibly need to ask me" I said trying to sound confident and fearless.

"That man, your husband I presume, does he do that often?"

"Do what?" I spat, knowing very well what the stranger meant.

He rested his chin on his hands, the garish colors of his mask enough to drive a person crazy.

"Cheri must I explain? For we both know you are not that daft."

I was speechless. This man doesn't even know who I am! How could he act this way towards me and ask about such private things such as the way my husband treats me? The sad part was that this bizarre man was the first to ask or care about the violent way Victor reacted to my small blunders.

"I have to go" I said choking down tears as I slid out of my chair gracefully and started towards the nearest door.

Once outside I couldn't help but let a few tears spill down my pale cheeks. Why did life have to be so damned hard? Why did that man have to dredge up the hurt from were I had carefully hid it in the depths of my soul, heart, and mind.

"No need to cry Cheri, it was just a simple question"

I whirled around facing the stranger's chest my heart racing. Glancing up I realized he had removed his mask revealing a handsome, slightly gaunt face with a thin mustache and sharp features; he was unlike most men I had ever seen.

Stumbling backwards, startled, he grabbed my shoulders to keep me from falling.

"Please, sir, I truly don't know the answer to your question, please leave me be!" I said harshly.

He smiled a large toothy smile.

"Your anger amuses me"

"Wh-what does that have to do with anything?" I stuttered.

"Nothing just the truth, anyway I know how to fix your, little problem" he made a smooth motion with one long fingered hand towards the ballroom.

"Oh and how do you suppose you would do that?"

"Lets just say I have some friends who could possibly arrange a way to rid of that ungrateful husband of yours" he leaned casually up against one of the outside walls of the mansion.

"I don't even know you, so why would I believe you?"

"All you need to know is my name and that my intentions are pure Cheri" a glint in his mysterious eyes told otherwise but at the time I hardly noticed.

"Well then what is your name?" I demanded.

"Dr. Facilier, or as some call me, the shadow man."

Realization flooded my senses, as I remembered a maid warning me only a day prior to stay away from a so called shadow man, a man succumbed by the dark practice of voodoo. Fear tickled my gut as I thought of all the awful things he was capable of, assuming voodoo was real. I truthfully wasn't quite sure at that point.

"What is your name Cheri?" he asked lazily his eyes sliding over my body.

"I don't think I should tell you" I whispered shifting uncomfortably.

He stood and took a few steps toward me until he was close enough for me to smell his strange but alluring cologne and gently slid a hand under my chin tilting my head towards his face.

"Now Cheri no need to be difficult all I want is your name, not your whole life story."

"E-Ella" I managed, frozen under his gaze.

"Now there's a good girl" he murmured searching my face as if he was reading my every emotion and thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to thank everyone who has left comments and followed my story. It's great to know someone is reading my story. Anyway I'm sorry it took me so long to update the holidays were very busy, I'm sure everyone can relate to that….**

He suddenly released my chin and backed up startling me.

"You said you would help me" I said my voice shaking slightly.

"Well Cheri honestly you look a bit faint and I don't think you have what it takes." He stood with his back to me, staring out into the dark garden.

"What it takes?" I felt a fiery burst of anger bubble up inside me. "If I can deal with Victor I have what it takes, believe me!"

He turned looking at me, curiosity plastered across his handsome face.

"Then follow me" he turned, picked up his mask, and started towards the driveway.

"Wait where are we-" He turned suddenly and put his hand over my mouth.

"Shhhh Cheri we cannot be discovered."

I nodded knowingly and he turned gracefully towards the streets. He walked so smoothly it was almost unreal. I suddenly began to wonder why I hadn't even given this situation a second thought. Why am I following this man? Am I really that desperate?

As I tried desperately to come up with an answer for those questions I tripped on a discarded newspaper and snapped back to reality. I studied my surroundings and was immediately disgusted. I was walking through the dirtiest ugliest part of town. It was filthy and dark, homeless huddled in the shadows watching me with dull eyes. Glancing up I caught sight of my guide, he glided through the soiled streets as if he had been through them a thousand times.

I felt fear trickle down my spine, cold and unforgiving as I followed. I felt like turning back but whenever I thought I had built up enough courage to turn around and run I found that I couldn't. It was like I was being drawn by some invisible force towards my unknown destination.

Finally we stopped in front of a large door in yet another dark, dank alley. A sign above the door read one simple word, emporium. The shadow man turned to me and smiled, opening the door with his long fingered hand.

"After you Cheri" he murmured.

As I walked into the dark shop my senses flared as if warning me of some awful fate but I could not make myself turn back no matter what my body or mind warned me of.


	4. Chapter 4

The bitter smell of formaldehyde and dust assaulted my nose as I glanced around a dark entry way. My skin crawled with fear as I took in the heavy velvet draperies and ancient shelves filled with a large variety of strange things. My breath came in quick gasps as I saw that among the items on the shelves was a human skull, what had I gotten myself into?

Unexpectedly I felt a touch on my lower back that seemed to send an electric shock through my spine.

His lips grazed my ear, "Cheri why don't you go sit down at the table in the parlor" he said gesturing toward a door with a soft light emanating from it.

I nodded absently as he gently shoved me with his hand that had been lingering on my lower back. I walked through the door trying not to look at the hideous things on the shelves that had almost caused me to go into a state of crazed panic. Once through the door I sat at a large round table made of rough, dark wood. This room smelled of incense and many candles sat on various shelves.

Closing my eyes I took a deep breath. Trying to calm my nerves I clutched at the heavy skirts of my dress. Thoughts of my last few days in New Orleans flashed through my mind. They all seemed so normal compared to what today seemed to be turning into. If only I had known that I would get myself into such a bind.

Then the shadow man walked into the room. He looked at me with a peculiar amusement in his violet eyes. I glanced at his hands which held a small container that reminded me of a perfume bottle. He moved silently to the table and sat across from me.

"Now Cheri you said you wanted to rid of that husband of yours?" he busied himself with the small cork of the bottle.

"I…I am not so su-"

"Now I know you may feel nervous now my dear but don't you forget the scars he has left on your body and most importantly your mind."

He raised his head and our gazes locked, I found myself feeling a type of hate towards Victor I can never begin to describe, it is what I imagine the most ruthless murderers feel.

"Now do you understand Cheri?" he took my pale, bony hand in his, stroking the delicate flesh of my inner wrist with his thumb.

"Yes" I murmured still looking into his mesmerizing eyes.

"I thought so" he said reaching around to his back pocket pulling out a small thin knife.


	5. Chapter 5

I glanced at the knife that the shadow man held with a strange medical precision but nothing in my mind connected me with the object. I was still overcome with anger so terrible that I couldn't even think about how he brought the knife closer and closer to me all the time looking into my eyes.

"Now Ella how bad do you want this?" I frowned; he never had called me by my name before.

"I…don't know" I said nervously, my eyes wandering to the strange masks on the wall behind him.

He put a hand on my cheek forcefully turning my gaze towards his, "You need to be sure."

As I looked into his eyes once more I knew I was sure, as sure as I would ever be.

"Do what you have to do doctor" I said, a coldness entering my voice that I had never heard before.

He smiled that toothy smile of his and grabbed my hand, forcefully this time and made a small incision on the inside of my wrist. I struggled out of pure human nature and he tried to hold me down but I was too much. He raised the scarlet stained knife to his mouth and clutched it between his teeth. Standing abruptly he knocked over his chair and grabbed me, pinning me against the wall. My hair fell in my face and I cried out, my wrist covered in blood.

"Get a hold of yourself woman! I am not your husband! Stop fighting me!" he said his voice muffled as he tried to keep the knife from falling to the floor.

I stopped struggling; breathing hard my heart beating like I had awoken from a terrible nightmare. He moved so that his body was pinning me to the wall instead of his hands and gently swept the hair out of my eyes.

"Calm Cheri, be calm."

He then grabbed my bloodied wrist pulling me gently towards the table. Picking up the bottle and taking the knife out of his mouth he sat me down. I watched him, dazed and confused, what was he doing to me? Why was I letting him do this to me?

He crouched in front of me and took a cloth out of his back pocket, gently wiping away the blood and making another small incision and pressing my wrist to the opening of the bottle. I watched as my blood dripped into the small container.

"What…?"

"You let me worry about that Cheri."


	6. Chapter 6

My mind felt poisoned and cloudy, I couldn't focus as I stared down at my small wrist, so bony and white, the blood clashed morbidly with it. Closing my eyes I tried to understand how I could have been so desperate as to follow this man.

The doctor took the small bottle away from my wrist and set it on the table. He picked up his chair and sat across from me once more.

"What now?" I asked just wishing this could be over.

A smile crept across his face that didn't quite blend with the situation at hand.

"Now Cheri you must prove that you really hate Victor" he leaned back in his chair that smile still plastered on his handsome features.

"How would I do that?"

"Funny how even when he abuses you, you never leave, never tell…" He stood and began to saunter towards me like a ghost, not making a sound.

"He would kill me if I did" I whispered my eyes following his every move.

"Now you finally let some stranger help you with hardly any questions asked, a bit odd don't you think?" He stood behind me and rested his hands on the back of my chair.

"I am tired of being abused."

"What makes tonight so special?" Gently he twirled a fallen lock of my hair around his finger "why tonight Cheri?" He whispered leaning close, his lips almost touching the sensitive skin of my neck.

"What does this have to do with proving I hate him?" I said my heart beating like a drum, his closeness was unnerving, "and why do you need my blood?"

He gently kissed my neck. My eyes widened, my breath shortened, and the world started to spin at his touch.

"What are you doing?" I said my voice sounding strangled and high pitched.

"If you hated him you wouldn't mind me doing this" he said in between kisses.

I stood abruptly backing away from him, "you sick son of a bitch! All you wanted was my body!"

He laughed darkly "now you're making excuses, you woman are a lost cause, too far gone."

"You lured me here to seduce me!"

"You're still hopelessly in love with him and that is what will kill you" he turned away from me, picking up the bottle and putting the cork back in place "I cannot help you."

"What…?"

The door flew open behind me and I saw something dark like a rogue shadow, move across the wall out of the corner of my eye.

"Leave Cheri, if you cannot prove your hate for him then you are worthless to me."

Tears began to slide down my cheeks and confusion overcame me, if voodoo was real then I was making a huge mistake by leaving, but if he was lying….

"I do not love him" I whispered.

The shadow man stopped cleaning up the blood smeared on the dark wood of the table and looked at me.

"Ya'll a bad liar Cheri."

We stood there staring at each other for what seemed like hours. I couldn't make myself leave he had a hold on me with those eyes, those dreadfully beautiful eyes. He began to move towards me so slowly it was agonizing. He stopped only inches from me and gently put a hand on my porcelain cheek. I didn't move but my chest heaved and tears continued to stream down my face.

"Please don't" I said my voice barely audible.

He smiled and gently laid his lips on mine, I tensed and tried to move away but he wrapped an arm around my waist. He moved his lips over mine with a passion I hadn't experienced from anyone not even with my husband on our honeymoon. I began to relax a bit but a part of me couldn't stop focusing on how wrong this was.


	7. Chapter 7

He pulled away pushing me backwards softly, grabbing a length of my hair. I stared at him my cheeks flushed, my eyes confused. He turned and grabbed the knife on the table cutting the chunk of my hair in his grasp.

"Wait! What are you doing?" I asked my voice shaking.

He smiled but didn't answer taking my hair and putting it in a jar that seemed to have mysteriously appeared while I wasn't looking. My body tensed as I watched him grab both containers, one holding my blood the other my hair and put them on the shelf under the masks I had noticed earlier.

"Now Cheri I'm afraid this is the difficult part" he said standing before me still holding his knife.

He smiled humorlessly sending waves of terror throughout my whole body. I stumbled backwards out of instinct and my back made contact with the wall sooner than I had hoped, I was trapped.

"Now all I need is for you to lure your husband here my love" he said walking towards me, tilting my head up with his hand so my eyes met his.

"I could never…" I choked

"Of course you can, you don't want him to hurt you anymore do you?"

"No…"

"Then I trust that u can bring him here."

He leaned towards me and kissed me softly then violently grabbed my wrist, taking the knife and carving an "F" into my wrist. I cried out in pain but he ignored me.

"You are now bound to your promise and if you don't follow through…well things won't turn out well for you Cheri."

"Ok I promise" I said tears running down my cheeks.

"Get out of here then" he threw my wrist down and opened the door.

I walked through it, expecting him to grab me and jam the knife into my neck but I made it all the way to the front door without a single word from him. On my way back to the party my whole body shook and my wrist dripped glistening crimson blood that looked black when it hit the dry, dusty streets.

My mind spun, how was I going to explain my appearance to Victor? What would he do to me when he had seen that I had left his side? Fresh tears rolled down my now raw cheeks.


	8. Chapter 8

**Oh wow it's been a long time since I have updated! I am very sorry it took so long but I have recently changed schools and it's been quite the adventure. Anyway I am planning on writing the next few chapters in a timely manner so no worries! Thank you for following/commenting it really does make my day.**

As I stumbled through the dirty streets my long auburn hair hanging in my faces sobbing, all I could think about was how I could possibly lure my husband to the emporium. He never listened to me so how would I ever…then a brilliant idea popped into my head and I smiled wildly. If I convinced him I had been raped he would become territorial and try to kill the man who trespassed on his 'property.' Yes that would work, I could do this, I would just have to make it convincing.

I stopped as soon as the mansion the party was being hosted at came within sight. Leaning down I ripped my dress and tore off my shoes throwing them into a nearby garbage can. That would be convincing enough for he would most likely have been drinking and would easily believe anything I told him.

Upon entering the garden I heard loud laughter and spied a group of men sharing what looked like a mostly empty bottle of wine. As I got closer I immediately recognized my husband among them. My heart sped up as I took a deep breath and approached them, fresh tears streaming down my dirty cheeks.

"Victor!" I wailed loudly, the group of men froze and turned towards me.

"Ella? What the fuck happened to you?" Victor slurred as he stepped towards me.

"There was a man and he…he"

"Out with it woman!" he yelled grabbing my shoulders.

"Raped me" I sobbed.

He looked at me for a moment then slowly let go of my shoulders as if trying to decide if I was telling the truth.

"You…" he murmured stumbling backwards a step looking me up and down. Suddenly a look of anger that I only saw on occasions where he was his most violent overcame his features.

"You lie you filthy whore! You fucked some other man when I wasn't looking and tried to say he raped you!"

"No! Victor please believ-"

"Shut up!" he said slapping me so hard I fell backwards hitting the ground.

The men behind Victor laughed.

"That's right you show her" one of the men said loudly.

Victory picked me up and flung me over his shoulder violently. I tried to scream but his shoulder had jabbed me in the chest knocking the breath out of me. He walked over to our car in the driveway and threw me into the back seat.

"You are going to regret the day you were born" he growled slamming the door closed. He climbed into the driver's seat and drove dangerously fast towards our mansion. Once we arrived he dragged me out of the car as I screamed and cried for him to let go of me but my pleas fell on deaf ears. He threw me on the floor of the entry way, and I slid on the polished wood floors into the staircase smashing my shoulder into the first stair.

He opened the hall closet the door slamming against the wall, the noise like a gunshot in the silent house. He grabbed a whip from the dark depths of the top shelf.

"No Victor, please no! I swear I did not cheat on you!" I cried clawing at the stairs as if they would protect me from what terrible situation I had gotten myself into.

"You do realize that you are a terrible liar" he said his voice so cold and evil it felt as if a demon was speaking to me. He raised the whip and smiled a cold, heartless smile.

I cowered knowing that if this wasn't the end of me surely the Shadow Man would have his own punishment for not bringing my husband to him. Then the whip came down upon me and indescribable pain overcame my body.


	9. Chapter 9

I awoke groggy and confused. Something wasn't right, had my pillow fallen on the floor? Sitting up gray morning light blinded me and the memories flooded back with such force I felt them on a physical level. Pain ripped through my body and an inhuman moan escaped my blood red lips.

Not only had the memories of the previous night come back but I found myself reliving the abuse that my husband had so cruelly bestowed upon me throughout the years. Another moan escaped my chest full of pain, hate, and misery. I was past the point of crying, tears no longer existed. In that moment I spied the bloody snake like whip and something inside me clicked. Like someone pulling the trigger of a gun. Unbelievable anger overcame me, anger that had been shut away for ages.

I stood unsteadily adrenaline coursing through my veins. This was the final straw. I may be broken both physically and mentally but I had a mission. Slowly I turned and made my way up the stairs one step at a time. I grew stronger as I made my way closer to His bedroom in His house. I was going to make him suffer in hell, were he belonged. A terribly insane smile crossed my face as I bent down and grabbed the large torn section of my dress and I ripped it off smoothly so my dress hardly touched my knees. I casually threw the ruined piece of material over the stair's railing and it fluttered noiselessly to the floor, covering the whip.

Crossing the hall I felt no pain only joy that He was finally going to die, going to pay for all my lost years. A laugh escaped my raw throat sounding more like a quiet scream. I stumbled to the door of His bedroom and leaned on the doorknob, my body shaking with the hysterical giggles of a mad woman. I finally turned the doorknob savoring the moment as the door softly opened. My chest heaved as I made it towards the bed were He lay. As my hip brushed His night table I turned toward it and picked up a heavy decorative vase I had given him once as a present.

"Honey" I whispered in a sing song like voice as I stood above Him, "insanity isn't nearly as bad as they say." I raised the vase above my head; finally I can end this I thought and as I began to bring the vase down upon Him strong arms grasped me throwing me away from the bed. I fell with a soft thump the vase landing in my lap, my vision swimming.

"Now Cheri I thought I told you to bring him to me not kill him yourself."


End file.
